01.01. The Blood Sacrifice
1 The Blood Sacrifice
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh (Hebrews 11:4).
Several facets of revealed truth are evident in the history of Cain and Abel. The experiences of these two men set forth spiritual truths relative to:
1. The Sacrifice of Christ.
2. Christ and Israel.
3. The Two Natures of Man. This study in the offerings of Cain and Abel will center around these three areas. The Sacrifice of Christ
Abel and his sacrifice typify Christ and His sacrifice. Abel presented lambs for a blood sacrifice at a set time in a particular place, and Christ presented Himself for a blood sacrifice at a set time in a particular place.
1. A Blood Sacrifice
Abel brought the "firstlings of his flock" unto the Lord. Abel was a shepherd, and it was lambs from the flock which he presented for an offering. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, for it was what God required.
Jesus is a Shepherd -- the "good Shepherd." He Himself was the sacrifice -- the Lamb of God -- the One Who gave His "life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted, for it was what God required.
God requires shed blood to atone for man’s sins. This is a truth established in Eden immediately following Adam’s sin. God slew innocent animals -- which necessitated shed blood -- and clothed Adam and Eve with the animal skins (Genesis 3:21). This act by God, because of man’s sin, sets forth a dual truth relative to salvation which remains unchanged throughout Scripture: 1) "Salvation is of the Lord" -- man, as Adam, is completely passive (Jonah 2:9), and 2) "...without shedding of blood is no remission" -- nothing else will suffice (Hebrews 9:22).
2. A Set Time
Abel presented his sacrifice "in the process of time [lit. ’at the end of the days’]" (Genesis 4:3). This sacrifice was presented at a set time previously designated by God.
Jesus was sent to this earth in "the fullness of the time" (Galatians 4:4), and died at a set time on Calvary. Jesus was the Passover Lamb, and, as set forth in Exodus 12:6, the Passover Lamb was to be slain on the fourteenth day of the first month of the year "in the evening [lit. ’between the evenings’]." "Between the evenings" was part way between noon and six P.M., i.e., three o’clock in the afternoon. Christ died on the day of the Passover at the exact time the Passover Lamb was to be slain -- the ninth hour, three P.M. -- for He was the Passover Lamb (Matthew 27:45-50; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
Much controversy has surrounded the exact time of day meant by the expression "between the evenings." However, the time of the death of Christ should end all controversy, for here we have the Passover Lamb dying "between the evenings"; and this time, manifestly, was three P.M.
On the day of the Passover, 30 A.D., the religious leaders of Israel were in attendance at Golgotha during the early part of the day (Matthew 27:41-43). They were the ones directly responsible for the crucifixion. But at three P.M. when Christ died, no mention is made of these individuals. In fact, the inspired Record is careful to reveal that it was the Jewish women, not the men, who witnessed this scene (Matthew 27:55). Where were the men? Were they not still there? In view of the activities of this day, it appears evident that the men who had appeared earlier were not at Golgotha when Christ died. This was the day of the Passover, and these men had to be at the temple during this time to attend to the slaying of the paschal lambs.
This was the day Exodus 12:6 was fulfilled in the camp of Israel: "...the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it [the Passover Lamb] in the evening [’between the evenings’]." Exodus 12:7 awaits fulfillment in the camp of Israel: "And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it." This, of course, point to that future day when Israel will appropriate the Blood and feast upon the Lamb. Two thousand years of man’s history, during which time Israel is set aside while God calls out from the Gentiles a people for His name, separate the fulfillment of these two verses in the camp of Israel.
3. A Particular Place
Abel presented his sacrifice at a set place before the Lord. Some translate Genesis 3:24, "He [God] dwelled at the east of the garden of Eden between the cherubims as a Shekinah..." Even though the accuracy of this translation is somewhat questionable, and most prefer the traditional rendering as given in the Authorized Version, God did dwell in a particular place, and it may have been at the east of Eden. Note that Cain and Abel "brought" offerings unto the Lord, and Cain later "went out from the presence of the Lord" (Genesis 4:3-4; Genesis 4:16).
Jesus presented Himself at a set place. God offered His Son on a particular mountain in the land of Moriah. This is undoubtedly the same mountain mentioned in Genesis 22:1-24 where Abraham, 2,000 years earlier, had offered his son. Everything in the account points to this conclusion. The land of Moriah was the region in Palestine where Jerusalem was built (2 Chronicles 3:1). The distance and time involved in Abraham and Isaac’s journey would correspond to Mount Calvary. (Abraham, at this time, lived in Gerar in the land of the Philistines, some 60 miles southwest of this mountain.) God was very particular about the place Isaac was to be offered, for God would "provide himself [for himself] a Lamb" for an offering on this mount. The site is called the "mount of the Lord" where "the Lord will provide [’Jehovah-jireh’]" (Genesis 22:8; Genesis 22:14).
Israel and Christ
"And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24).
Abel is a type of Christ, and Cain slaying Abel foreshadows Israel slaying Christ. The incident in Genesis, chapter four is one brother slaying another brother; and the incident in the gospel accounts 4,000 years later is the same -- one brother slaying another brother. Israel is God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22), and Jesus is God’s Firstborn Son (Hebrews 1:6). Israel is God’s only adopted, firstborn son; and Jesus is God’s only begotten, Firstborn Son. Consequently, Israel and Cain are both guilty of the same sin of fratricide.
Cain refused to approach God via the one way which God required. Cain refused to bring a blood sacrifice, thereby rejecting the Lamb. Likewise, Israel refused to come the one way which God required. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Israel rejected her Messiah, the Lamb of God.
Cain rose up against his brother and slew him in the field. The field is a type of the "world" (Matthew 13:38). It was during the time God’s Son was in the world that Israel rose up against Him, as Cain against Abel, and committed a violent act. The blood of Abel cried out to the Lord "from the ground" (Genesis 4:10), but the blood of Christ "speaketh better things than that of Abel."
Cain was driven from his own land and became a "fugitive and a vagabond in the earth" (Genesis 4:14). The Israelites were given forty years to repent of their sin of crucifying their Messiah. They did not, and were subsequently driven from their own land to the four quarters of the globe. They have, like Cain, become fugitives and vagabonds in the earth.
Cain and his descendants became associated with city-building and trading and trafficking in these cities (Genesis 4:17 ff). The Jews, dispersed throughout the world, have congregated in large metropolitan centers and have, as Cain and his descendants, become merchantmen.
Cain received a mark, indicating that he would be easily recognizable, and judgment was pronounced upon anyone who sought to slay him (Genesis 4:15). Israel has been marked through certain physical and racial characteristics to the extent that Israelites, as Cain, are easily recognizable anywhere in the world. And God has pronounced a curse upon anyone who mistreats Israel. According to Genesis 12:3, God states concerning Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee."
Cain confessed that his punishment was greater than he could bear (Genesis 4:13). Israel, as Cain, has yet to confess this fact in all its fullness before God. But during the nation’s coming time of affliction (the Great Tribulation), the people of Israel will cry out to God by reason of their bondage. God will see their affliction, hear their cry, know their sorrows, and come down to deliver them (Exodus 2:23; Exodus 3:7-8).
Atonement will then be provided for the nation’s violent act of slaying her brother, Israel will be restored to her own land, and God’s complete purpose for calling this nation into existence will be realized (Numbers 35:32; Isaiah 43:5-12). Israel will be re-established in the land of her possession and placed at the head of the nations under a new covenant (Leviticus 26:40-46; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 28:1; Jeremiah 31:31-34), and, as Jonah after he was re-established in the land (Jonah 2:10; Jonah 3:1 ff), Israel will go forth as God’s great witness to the Gentiles. The Two Natures of Man
"...that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual" (1 Corinthians 15:46).
1. Basics of the Two Natures
The carnal nature and that which emanates from this nature are set forth in the experiences of Cain, and the spiritual nature and that which emanates from this nature are set forth in the experiences of Abel. Cain appeared first, and then Abel. Cain’s offering is mentioned first, and then Abel’s (Genesis 4:3-4). Thus it is with the natural man and the spiritual man today. The natural man was here first and remains alone until the time of the birth from above. His actions are mentioned first, but "they that are in the flesh [as Cain] cannot please God" (Romans 8:8). Only when a man is born from above dies the spiritual man (typified by Abel) appear. And only then is a man in any position to please God.
The name "Cain" means possession or acquisition and points to one whose hopes are fixed on earthly things. On the other hand, the name "Abel" means vapour or vanity and points to one who looks upon his life as "a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14). He considers the things of this world but vanity. They all constitute an empty and vain life apart from God.
The carnal man, typified by Cain, ignores sin and the fall. He concerns himself with the things of the fallen creature and the creation under the bondage of sin. Cain brought an offering to the Lord taken from the ground, which was under a curse. Consequently, Cain’s offering was rejected.
The spiritual man, typified by Abel, acknowledges sin and the fall. He does not concern himself with the things of the fallen creature and the creation under the bondage of sin. Rather, he concerns himself with the things of God, which begin with God’s required sacrifice because of man’s sin. Abel brought the sacrifice which God required. Thus, Abel’s offering, unlike Cain’s, was accepted.
Abel acted on faith; Cain did not. Both sons of Adam knew what God required, but only one acted accordingly and brought the correct offering. Only one proved faithful, and "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).
In the eyes of man, Cain’s offering may have been very beautiful and far more appealing than Abel’s. But it was not what God required. Thus it is with those who follow the carnal nature today. Their actions may be very benevolent and bring about the applause of the "Christian World" (an awful expression!), but they are still the way of Cain. Such acts emanate from the man of flesh and are, thus, unacceptable to God. On the other hand, the way of Abel, more often than not, leads to rejection, reproach, and an askance look from the "Christian World." But it is what God requires. Such acts emanate from the man of Spirit and are the only acts of man acceptable to God.
2. The Inheritance and the Two Natures
The two sons of Abraham also appear typically in this same sense (Galatians 4:29). Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, born after the flesh, appeared first. Isaac, the son of the freewoman, born after the Spirit, appeared fourteen years later. There was no conflict in the tent of Abraham so long as Ishmael was in the tent alone. But when Isaac appeared, the trouble began. Thus it is in the experience of man today. So long as man remains in an unsaved condition, possessing only the old nature, there is no inner conflict. But when the individual is born from above, God places a new nature alongside the old, and the conflict begins.
Galatians, chapter four expounds upon Ishmael and Isaac, emphasizing the fact that Ishmael was not to be heir with Isaac. Galatians 5:1-26 and Galatians 6:1-18 continue this same line of thought, expounding upon the "works of the flesh [typified by Ishmael]" and the "fruit of the Spirit [typified by Isaac]" (Galatians 5:16-23). Those who follow the old nature will, like Ishmael, be rejected for the inheritance (cf. Galatians 4:30; Galatians 5:21), but those who follow the new nature will, like Isaac, inherit that which has been promised (cf. Galatians 5:22-23; Galatians 6:7-8).
These chapters in the Book of Galatians have to do with Christians and an inheritance, not with the unsaved and salvation by grace through faith. This is evident from several things: 1) The new nature, typified by Isaac, does not appear until after one has been saved; 2) the individuals addressed in these chapters ("brethren"; Galatians 4:28; Galatians 5:11, Galatians 5:13, Galatians 6:1) are capable of either walking in the Spirit or fulfilling the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16), something which cannot be said of an unsaved person; 3) the subject at hand, in connection with the new nature, has to do with an inheritance lying out ahead. Christians alone (the sole possessors of this new nature) are the only ones in a position to receive this inheritance, for the inheritance and the old nature are totally incompatible. The inheritance pertains to Isaac (the new nature) alone; Ishmael (the old nature) has been completely rejected.
3. The Birthright and the Two Natures
The two sons of Isaac, as the two sons of Abraham, also typify the carnal and spiritual natures of man (Hebrews 12:14-17). Esau, the elder, typifying the carnal man, was in possession of the rights belonging to the firstborn; but the ultimate possession of these rights had been promised to Jacob, the younger, typifying the spiritual man (Genesis 25:23) -- for the carnal man could not ultimately possess these rights. Esau, viewing the birthright through the eyes of the man of flesh, considered the birthright to be of little value and sold his birthright to satisfy a fleshly gratification. Jacob, on the other hand, viewing the birthright through the eyes of the man of Spirit, realized the value of the birthright and set his sights on obtaining the rights of the firstborn. And Jacob subsequently received the father’s blessing set aside for the firstborn.
Christians are in possession of a birthright, and the warning from the experience of Esau has to do with the possibility of our forfeiting the birthright through following the man of flesh. It was only after Jacob had received the blessing belonging to the firstborn that Esau realized what he had forfeited. He then sought to retrieve the birthright, but it was too late. The blessing set aside for the firstborn had already been bestowed upon another, and the birthright was beyond Esau’s grasp forever.
When we all appear before the judgment seat of Christ we will pass through the same experiences set forth in the blessing received by Jacob or the rejection experienced by Esau. Those Christians who, through following the new nature, retain their birthrights will receive the blessing of the firstborn from the Father. But those Christians who, through following the old nature, forfeit their birthrights will be rejected for the blessing of the firstborn by the Father.
Many Christians in that day, as Esau, will find "no place of repentance [a change of mind]," though they seek it "carefully [earnestly] with tears" (Hebrews 12:17). Such Christians, at last realizing the value of the birthright, but seeing that it has been forfeited, will earnestly seek to get the Judge to change His mind and bless them also. But it will be too late. The rights of the firstborn will have been forfeited and will be beyond their grasp forever (Genesis 27:34-38). The Judge will be unable to change His mind and, at the same time, remain true to His Word.
The faith of Abel, the inheritance belonging to Isaac, and the birthright received by Jacob are all in association with the man of Spirit and indivisibly linked one with the other. It is not possible to please God apart from faith, and the rights belonging to the firstborn will be realized through the reception of "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you [for the faithful]" (1 Peter 1:4; cf. 1 Peter 1:5-9; 2 Peter 1:1; James 1:3-6). This will be brought to pass during the coming Messianic Era.
First Removed -- Second Established "He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second" (Hebrews 10:9).
There is a truth permeating Scripture wherein God rejects or removes the first and accepts or establishes the second. This truth is set forth in the material creation, the angelic world, and the things surrounding man.
Scripture begins at the point of the creation of the heavens and the earth and terminates at the point of the creation of a new heavens and a new earth, following the removal of the present heavens and earth. The history of the present heavens and earth revolves around two world Rulers. One has been rejected, but he has not yet been deposed; the Other has been accepted, but He has not yet been established.
After the creation of the present heavens and earth, the first world ruler (Satan), following an insurrection, was rejected, and his kingdom was reduced to a state of ruin. The earth was later restored, and man, an entirely new order, was brought into existence to rule in the stead of Satan. God rejected both the first ruler and his kingdom and brought into existence a second ruler and a restored kingdom. This is the beginning point where we find God rejecting or setting aside the first and accepting or establishing the second.
Following the creation of man, the first man, the First Adam, was rejected because of sin. Once again, the first was set aside. Then 4,000 years later the second Man, the Last Adam, appeared on the scene. The second Man paid the price to redeem what the first man forfeited in the fall, and God has accepted His redemptive work. Consequently, this second Man, the Last Adam, will one day be established as the Ruler over the earth in the stead of Satan. And He will have a great host from the lineage of the First Adam, but redeemed through the work of the Last Adam, who will rule the earth with Him.
Man’s rule over the present earth must come to pass, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance [without a change of mind]" (Romans 11:29). This is the reason God created man in the beginning, and God will not, God cannot, change His mind concerning the reason He restored the earth and called man into existence.
The preceding is a broad coverage of how God rejects or removes the first and accepts or establishes the second. And this same truth can be found at almost every turn as one moves through the Scripture. Adam had two sons, and the elder was rejected; Noah had three sons, and the eldest was rejected (the Messianic line went through Shem, the youngest); Terah had three sons, and the eldest was rejected (the Messianic line went through Abraham, the youngest); Abraham had two sons, and the elder was rejected; Isaac had two sons, and the elder was rejected; Jacob had twelve sons, and the eldest was rejected (the birthright was divided among three of the younger sons); Joseph had two sons, and the elder was rejected; Amram had two sons, and the elder was rejected (Moses was the one called to deliver the Israelites rather than his elder brother, Aaron); Jesse had eight sons, and the eldest was rejected (David, the youngest, was chosen King over Israel). And the list goes on and on in Scripture. God even rejected His Own elder son from among His two adopted sons. Israel was rejected relative to the rule from the heavens over the earth with Jesus the Christ in the coming age, and the Church, following the adoption into sonship, will be established in this position.
The carnal and spiritual natures of man exemplify this same truth. God has rejected the carnal nature which, as Cain, Ishmael, and Esau, appeared first. And God has established the spiritual nature which, as Abel, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared last. That which God has rejected is set forth in the works of Cain. Cain is the father of all false worship, violence, murder, and civilization apart from God (Genesis 4:3; Genesis 4:5; Genesis 4:8; Genesis 4:16 ff). That which emanates from what God has accepted is set forth in the works of Abel. Abel’s blood offering sets forth the only basis for true worship and righteousness. One must either begin at this point or possess no beginning acceptable to God.
Abel died that he might rise to resurrection of Life (Genesis 4:3-8; cf. John 12:24). Once again the first was set aside to establish the second. But there is nothing recorded about the death of Cain. In his case the first was not set aside, for there is no resurrection to life in view.
This same truth is also evident in the Godly line of Seth (the one appointed in the place of Abel, whom Cain slew) and the Godless line of Cain. The lineage of Seth is given in Genesis 5:1-32, and the lineage of Cain is given in Genesis 4:17-24. Note very carefully that in the lineage of Seth every individual (save Enoch, who was translated) is specifically said to have died, but in the lineage of Cain death is not mentioned. It is the same truth once again. In the lineage of Seth the first was set aside with a resurrection to life in view; but in the lineage of Cain there is no setting aside of the first, for there is no resurrection to life.
Concluding Thoughts:
Thus, the offerings of Cain and Abel, along with things which emanate from these offerings, set forth truths pertaining to Israel and the Christian from the point of Calvary throughout the entire present age.
Israel refused to come God’s way, rose up against her Messiah, and, as Cain, committed fratricide. Israel, as Cain, was then driven from her own land to the ends of the earth, bearing a mark and becoming a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth. Israel, driven from her own land, now awaits the next event pertaining to Israel in Hebrews 11:1-40 -- the Flood during Noah’s day (Hebrews 11:7), which is a type of the coming Great Tribulation.
Christians, on the other hand, have come God’s way. They have appropriated the blood, typified by Abel’s offering, through receiving the Lamb of God. Throughout the entire Christian experience, beginning at the point of salvation, the two natures -- typified by Cain and Abel -- come into play. The carnal nature continuously pulls us toward the things of the world, and the spiritual nature continuously pulls us toward the things of God, creating the ever-present conflict within the Christian (Galatians 5:17). Throughout the entire present age Satan strives for the souls (lives) of Christians through the things associated with the old nature, and, during the same time, the indwelling Holy Spirit strives for the souls (lives) of these same Christians through the things associated with the new nature. The Christian in this position now awaits the antitype of Enoch’s translation (Hebrews 11:5), the coming rapture of the saints.